Combined rule and square.



No. 700,304. n Patented May 20, |902.

n F. J'. ITUMBS. COMBINED RULE AND SUUARE.

(Application led July 29, 1901,)

(No Model.)

IIIIII IIIIIII Jlllllllllllllxllllll I l I ou@ .e n nv uo. au

f Falls, in the county of Flathead and State of Mont-ana, have inventedcertain new and use?` UNITEDA YSTATEsl PATENT" FRANK J. cooMBs, orooLnivLiAfrALLs, Mon-TANA.

COM BIN En uut-E AN D SQUARE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'ratenr No. 7oo,3o4, dateeMay 2o,1902.

Application inea my 29, 1901. serial Naf/0,111. un, man.)

To all wiz/0771,11?? may concern/f Be it known that I, FRANK J. CooMBs,acitizen of the United States, residing at Columbia ful Improvements in aCombined Rule and Square; andl do declare the following to bek a l'ull,clear, and exact description ot' the in`y vention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The invention relates to a combined rule The object-ofthe inventionis'to provide a device of this characterwhich may be used as anordinaryfolding foot-rule, atry-square,

or a miter-sqnare,'and'which'shall be simple of construction, durable inuse, and compar-r atively inexpensiveof production. f

With these andother objects in view the invention'consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement.

of parts, which will be hereinafter more'fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended clai`m.' l

In the accompanyingdrawings,Figure lis -a side elevation ofza two-footrule, illustrating the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a viewillustratingthe rule in its folded position, one of the outer legsoftherule being shown in full lines to form atry-square andin'dotted linestoforin4 a miterlsq'u'are, the angle of the said miter beingan acuteangle.

Fig. 3 is a similarview; showing the `outer leg4 in full lines lto forniavtry-s'quare and in dotted lines to form a miter-square,the angle ofthe miter-sqnare being an obtuse angle;v Fig. 4 is a detail perspectiveviewl ofthe notched head, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough theinnerendjof thatleg'of the rule which forms the blade of thesquare and' showing the bolt seated in one of thenotches of the notchedhead. 1

'Referring' to the drawings, l and 2 denote the-inner hinged legs ot' anordinary two-foot rule, and 3 and 4 represent the outer legs hinged tothe outer ends ofv said inner legs l and 2. Tothe inner leglis hinged abosser extension 5, having ahead 13, provided with a series of notches,preferably three. Formed at the union or intersection of the boss andits head is a double angular shoulderb, conends ot' which is interposedand connected the rss leg or member/t ofthe rule,which is provided wit-ha recess therein, in which is seated a spring b. 'A latch 17, having alug a, and a bolt 0,2 are alsoseated in the recess, the lug'be-l ingprovided with'a pin a', which extendsfinto the'coils of the spring, soas to retain the same .l

in pro'perposition. The plate 10 is provided" 165 E" with a slot,through which passes a projection 17 ofthe latch'l, by meansof whichtheboltv 1 a2 of said latch, as shown in Fig. 5, is'adapted toaccurately engage or disengageja'ny o ne otv l v :the notches in theboss when required. The

inner endsof theA plates 10 andvllf are spaced`vv` notchesin the headofthegboss. f` When it is desired touseth'e device as a lapart and madein vsemicircular shape, vbe`\` tween which ispivotally mounted theheadof the boss 5, the said sem'icircular-'shapedends' Y I kof theplates being adapted to abut against 'the vertical circular-shapedshoulders and co-v aot together Wherebyto adjust the member 4 l -of therule at different angles by means'ot the bolt of the latch' registeringwith the square, the parts are narranged as shown in vmiter-square tolay oft" a`line atan acnteanfulllines in Fig. 2--thatiswtoy say,withfthe vdicator swung at. rig-ht angl'estosaidleg. 'ji When it isdesiredjto vuse thedevice as a gle, the indicator isadjusted toy theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, in whichadi justment oftheindicator it is held in itsposition by the boltengagingoneof kthenotches' of thehead-boss.

When it isv desired tolayo 3, which brings the indicator to the positionas a try-square the bolt may beAVithdrawn amlte'rfatanif. obtuse angle,the boss isswung .outwardly` from lthe position shown in full linesinFig.l

. 95` shown in dotted linesin Fig. V. When this position, if itisde'sired to use thedevice l `from its notch and the indicator lmovedto the positionas shown'in funnnesin Fig. e. we I It will thus `beseenthat Ifhave adapted an ordinary two-'foot rule to the layingoft oflIniy ters and squares without materially increas- 1 ing the cost ofproduction, and thereby I am enabled from a single tool or instrument tol cal and partly curved, and an outer member secure, in addition to itsfunction as a rule, three separate and distinct functions-to wit, thelaying oit of work'at right angles, at acute angles, and at obtuseangles.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, andadvantages of my inventionwill be readily understood without requiring amore extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction maybe made within the scope of the invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any ot' the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

The combination with an ordinary two-foot rule having on the outer endof one of its hinged members a boss with a notched head, and shoulderson opposite sides of the head formed at the intersection of said bossand` said head, the shoulders being partly vertiof the rule having atits inner portion a recess a spring-latch with a bolt mounted in therecess, of an indicator consisting of two plates with curved inner endssecured to the inner end of the outer member of the rule, a rectangularopening in one of the plates for the passage ot a projection of thelatch to operate the latch so that the bolt thereof will coact with thenotches of the head of the boss, and the inner curved ends of the platesof the indicator pivoted on opposite sides of the head of the bosswhereby said vertical and curved shoulders formed at the intersectionot' the boss and its head coaet with the curved ends of the plates andthe inner Vertical edge walls thereof, substantially as specitied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRANK J. COOMBS.

WVitnesses:

THnoDoRE CHRISTENSEN, LEWIS PETERSON.

